When The Bell Tolls
by Eriol-sama
Summary: Aragorn spend his last hours together with his dearest elf. This fic is written for June 2005 challenge Goodbye


Rating: PG-13

Summary: Aragorn spend his last hours together with his dearest elf. Is written for June challenge- Goodbye.

Warnings: This fic might contain OOC for all the characters and well…perhaps a bit AU since I don't know the exact date of when Aragorn dies and I too am blind about Gondorian culture.

Feedback: All feedbacks and critics are welcomed, just send it to my email or post it in the group message board.

Disclaimer: I don't own all these characters for they belong to J. R.R. Tolkien the lucky guy, I'm just playing around with them so don't sue me.

Author's Note: The elvish translation is taken from here while the little poem lyrics down there are adopted from manga by Yuki Kaori, Count Cain.

Beta reader: Melpz

It was a fine night in Gondor during the autumn of the fourth age. The night sky was decorated by merrily twinkling stars and a full moon shone brightly. The cool gentle breeze was blowing slowly as if is alluring and caressing people into their slumber. Yes indeed, the lullaby of which the wind carries had lured most of the Gondorian citizens to their deepest dream yet there were few who were not. Few were left to be wide awake in this beautiful night.

The king's chamber was quiet saved the crackle of low burning woods in the hearth. There was no candles lit either but the merrily dancing flames upon the burning woods. The flame cast a dim illumination around the wide and elegantly furnished chamber suited for the King of Gondor and Arnor. Further into the bed chamber, there was a wide and large window which curtains were drawn open, letting the soft moonbeam to light the darkness of the spacious room which was vacant but two one figures.

One of the room occupants was wearing a warm, thick velvet robe beneath his already weakened body, withered by the years passing, eaten by old age as it was the very fate of every mortal upon the Middle Earth. His once wrinkle-free face was now having such lines of wrinkle as would any man of his age. His once raven shining hair was now grey, as grey as once Gandalf The White as The Grey. The shoulders, which were once straightened up in proud and pride as would any king have, were now a bit slumped as the old bones could no longer support the weight and the burden upon them. He was sitting on a couch that had been moved near the window so he could stare out of the opened window, upon such majestic view he always adored since he was a mere child, a night sky with all the brilliant stars came out and twinkled. Thus because of this too, his face was not wearing one weary expression eaten by the age but a contented simple smile.

The other room occupants were sitting by the window sill with one legs up and drawn near his chest and was leaning his back upon the solid wall which framed the window. He wore a simple dark brown leggings and white shirt. His bright gold mane was once free of the customary braid and was flowing freely down to his waist. His skin was bathed upon the moonlight, glowing faintly along with the shining golden hair of his. All in all he was an epitome of beauty with the chiseled ageless face that appeared not even any older than any man of their thirty summers and so was the still soft silken skin that denied all the winters he had passed during his life. Such was a fate of an immortal elf as the First Born. Yet neither smile nor its traces could be found upon his face as he watched upon the twinkling stars and shining full moon. It was a grim and sorrowful expression he bore.

The silence was not an uncomfortable one yet it was not a comfortable one either. Time ticked as seconds passed by into minutes and minutes into hours. None of them said anything for these past few hours. Both of them simply lost in their own mind and patiently waited, waiting for something anything to happen at the very moment, thus breaking their strangely silent, comfortable yet unwelcomed tableau.

A round of coughs shattered the delicate, fragile silence.

Just in few seconds, the elf was already in front of the man who was bending over and another round or coughs racked through his weary old body. The slender yet strong hands of the elf supported the frame of the man as one of them was upon the man's back, trying to soothe the coughs down. He kept rubbing the man's back which wrinkled skin was covered by the smoothest velvet until the coughs died once again only to be erupted after an interval.

"Do you need some water, Elessar?"

The elf was now watching intently upon his long time best friend as he asked the question towards the king.

Aragorn took another deep breath before he answered the softly asked question. He gathered some of his strength left to look up to his beautiful ethereal elf and smile to him as he knew that the life force was already ebbing away as each minutes passed.

"You know, Legolas, mellon nin, I am no longer Elessar, for my reign ends today."

"I'm sorry, Estel. I just cannot help it."

A round of amused chuckles was heard and as soon as it was heard, another round of coughs attacked the old king and again the elf soothed him.

"It's not wise to chuckle just to have another round of coughs, Estel. If I haven't known you better, I'll say you're a masochist to even let yourself suffer like that."

Aragorn heard the dry amusement hinted by his best friend and managed a smile between the harsh coughs that tore his throat up as well as upsetting his chest again.

After few minutes the coughs once again died. Aragorn did not dare to breathe too deeply as from his personal experience he learned that action could invoke another round of painful dry coughs. He breathed in and out shallowly and steady until he felt the coughs really died down somewhere. Then he moved to once again lean back upon the couch and sighed as he welcomed its comfort upon his body.

Legolas, meanwhile stood up and walked to where the desk was, which had the glass and the water served. He poured some of the water into the glass and walked back to where Aragorn was sitting with his eyes closed and frowning as he fought against the headache. He carefully and soundlessly kneeled down in front of Aragorn and called him softly.

"Estel? Mellon nin?"

Aragorn managed to pry his eyes open without receiving any attacks of the nasty headache. First he saw blurry images but after few times of blinking the images became clearer and he saw the beautiful face of one that was dear to his heart. He could see the golden tresses that was framing the youthful face and the brilliant blue orbs which were as clear as blue sapphire and held such depth that could drown everyone who dared to swim upon their gaze, the only one that betrayed the forever young appearance as its depth was the only result of seeing too many and too much during thousands of years that had passed. But now the said eyes were reflecting worries, sorrow and unspoken love which were mixed up thoroughly as each entangled the other and all of them were so visibly apparent to those who even merely glanced upon the eyes knew the breaking of his heart.

This was what Aragorn feared the most. He as a ranger had ventured to many places in Middle Earth, had faced many enemies worse than orcs, had led the armies to hopeless battles, had gambled with his fate upon the death's gate yet none made him as afraid as now. Now as in seeing the shattering of his dear one's heart, seeing his Legolas heartbroken. This was what he feared the most. Never had he worried to left his kingdom onto his only son, Eldarion or that he would soon die and fade into nothing, only this mere expression of the dearest elf had him trembled in fear, fear of losing him, fear of forgetting him, fear of unloving him, fear of killing him.

Seeing that Aragorn had opened his eyes and looked straight into his eyes, Legolas smiled for the first time during this day his real smile. He saw the glassy unfocused eyes opened slowly, fixed the gaze upon him and then slowly the gray orbs cleared from the fog and came as focused as it had been. He saw how the fleeting emotions swirled in the deep gray eyes, so deep and mesmerizing the emotions were making the silvery tints to twinkle, Oh how he loved these expressional eyes, he loved to see how emotions danced upon them, making them to shine it their glories. He always loved the silver grayish orbs even since the very first time he landed his gaze upon these brilliantly stunning eyes. Even as the years passed their beauty was still untainted. He felt he could still drown just by merely staring into those eyes.

They stared each other for few minutes. Each of them was lost in their thought and each other's gaze. The silence once again hung heavy like tapestries which here hung at some walls of the room, only to be broken by another round of small, less painful coughs.

"Here have some drink," Legolas said as he offered the glass to Aragorn after the coughs had once again subsided.

An offer that was eagerly accepted by Aragorn who felt his dry throat making him difficult to give any reply saved nodding his head in affirmative. He lifted his hands up and took the offered glass onto his lips and began to tilt the glass and drank. He could feel the glass hake as his hands shook. It was only because Legolas' steady hands that kept the glass steady and assisted him in drinking. It was in that instant he felt the smooth silken skin entangled with his rough, wrinkled skin. Such a contrast that almost broke his heart yet he felt the strength and the unfailing grip of assurance from his friend, a grip that spoke more volume than beautifully cited words of vow of loyalty. A luxurious measure of comfort that warmed his heart and eased away all his worries about his death, about leaving his beloved ones because for now he was not all alone.

After the thirst had been satisfied, Legolas stood up and walked back to the desk to put the glass down while Aragorn resumed leaning upon his couch. Legolas turned and saw his dear friend was once again seeking another solace from the couch. He then walked back to Aragorn and asked the seemingly asleep king.

"Would you like anything else?"

Aragorn considered the question for a moment then he let a small smile curved upon his lips then pried his eye lids open to see the blonde elf standing in front of him likewise a dutiful page waiting for any commands. Aragorn nodded his head slowly then answered the question asked.

"Indeed, Legolas my friend. Come and sit by me, dearest friend, let us pass this night together for I love your company more than anyone else."

Legolas complied his friend request and sat on the end edge of the couch. Aragorn though disliked the distance between him and his dearest friend, so once again he tried to coaxed Legolas to sit closer to him or perhaps to have him sit as close as possible with him.

"Legolas, sit closer will you? It's a bit cold here."

Legolas smiled upon the request and scooted closer to his human friend until they were side by side.

Aragorn, meanwhile, still sensed the uneasiness of his friend through the stiff posture of the elf. He sighed as he remembered that his dearest friend could sometimes be as stubborn as a mule. He lifted his hand and gathered his strength he applied quite a tug upon his friend's sleeve, forcing him to lean on the couch so their shoulder was brushed against each other. After this was accomplished, even before the elf could voice any protests, he rested his head onto the elf's shoulder, snuggled his body closer to the elf as he could feel the cold was now beginning to creep upon his body thus he needed another heat source.

Legolas could not utter any protests as he felt the very tip of his protest died on his throat when he saw upon the contentment and the happy smile that decorated his human's face. He smiled as well as relieved to know that his presence and his closeness could still bring some joy upon his beloved even though he was not his anymore, especially after the wedding and the coronation. Then he shifted to a more comfortable position and put them even closer as he gathered his long time best friend into his embrace. Embracing as if protecting him against the stealthy death, shielding him away from any creeping worries, sheltering and nurturing the purity of their love–a kindled flame burned brightly and never die.

"Legolas…" Aragorn called as he leaned back upon Legolas' welcoming embrace and strong warm chest, feeling safe once he was embraced and the worries then flow away along with the fear, driven away by the warmth and the ever present love.

"Yes, meleth?" Legolas leaned down to place a soft tender kiss upon the crown of grey hair of a head nestled comfortably underneath him, murmuring out his reply, still busy on breathing in the scent of his lifetime lover.

"Do you long for the Sea?" asked Aragorn in his soft, quiet tone while he sighed happily upon the tender sweet kiss placed by his beloved.

Legolas was quiet for a moment when he heard the question, opted not to reply immediately but taking his time by moving his hands around to encircle the body in front of him. Making sure that their arms brushed against each other, feeling the ageless skin moved against the aged one, opening yet another wound upon his heart as the act reminded him how much mortal his lover was. Yet he knew he needed desperately to touch him, to feel him, to hold him, especially now as time was cruel now and death was lurking around, hunting its gaze upon him, preying upon the mortal he held so dear both in his arms and in his heart.

"Yes, love, I long for it."

The sentence was left hanging and the tone which had been uttered by the elf was heard of an undercurrent longing yet greater determination that shaded all the melancholic feeling.

"Yet, the need of being close to you, together like this is even greater than my longing."

Their fingers slipped and entwined together, a tight assuring grip.

"I love you more than my life itself."

Then Legolas applied more pressure to tighten their grip as he emphasized upon what his heart was saying.

Aragorn's heart was almost broken when he heard the despair and the sorrow laced with every word his dearest elf has spoken at the very eve of his death, an event that neither could defy. Oh how he wished he could wipe those crystalline tears that had flawed the perfection of his lover's face. Yet he knew he could easily wipe those physically tears but what of those tears he had shed in his heart? How he should ever wipe it for him and himself? He was useless like this, so very helpless to even cheer and enlighten his beloved because he knew the grief was too deep and mayhap it would never be mended. Yet, still he hoped because that was all left for him, hope, estel…Estel.

"Legolas, a'maelamin…Amin mela lle, melamin."

Legolas was choked upon his tears and his grief before he too said his vow of love and kissed the top of his beloved head before he once again tightened his embrace, trying so desperately not to be parted by his dearest ranger, friend and lover.

"Amin mela lle, Estel melamin. Amin mela lle."

"Lle…" Aragorn brought their hands together close to his heart and placed them there, letting both of them felt the heart beat beneath their intertwined hands. A simple gesture that he always did to show that he belonged to Legolas and only for him alone, his heart beat.

"Amin." Legolas tightened the grip upon their matted fingers once again and kissed on the side of Aragorn's temple, accepting that he, himself was his as well as his beloved was his.

Aragorn sighed then he brought up their fingers onto his lips and kissed them, brandishing their love once again.

Legolas' knuckles burnt when the kiss descended, when the soft cool lips touched upon his skin. He felt every nerve upon his body tingled, creating a heady euphoria sensation deep into his soul.

Aragorn kept their knuckles upon his lips. Then the bell was heard, a customary bell that was rung every day at dawn. He then put down their hands upon his lap once again and there he went still, unmoving except for a few falling and raising movement of his chest. He closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh then leaned back upon his beloved, back to his lover embrace, the only place he would ever feel safe and peaceful, the only home he had. Then everything went still but the bell.

"Aragorn…" Legolas brushed and caressed the cradled fingers and palms upon his own then started to rub them, trying to warm the cooling skin back to its original heat even if it was only for a moment and only a moment, he was asked for.

"Quel esta, a'maelamin." Unbidden, tears started to flow once again. Flowing and flowing, until they were no more to shed.

Thus like that they stayed for a moment, together throughout the dawn into the morning. They sat in silence, listening only to the tolling bell of the dawn. The emanating heat absorbed by the cooling body as the heat rapidly ebbed away from the very still mortal body whom feä was already sipped away. The strong, slender muscled arms were circling the body in front of him. The ever smooth flesh slide along side the now wrinkled flesh of mortal, brushing the wrinkles upon the smooth silky skin. Their fingers were intertwined together, holding each other tightly as if refusing to let each other apart even though each knew of the unavoidable parting, a parting sealed by the fate itself and signed by Eru.

Then there was the tale of Elessar Telcontar, King of Gondor and Arnor,

killed by the mighty time, with its fate as a mortal,

whom blood was caught by Gondor, upon her throne,

whom was mourned by a certain elf, as his love has gone,

whom death was tolled by the dawn, a sign of a new reign of the new king,

whom loved, missed and mourned by people of Gondor,

for they adored their king…

THE END

Please review! Hannon Ie

Translation:

_Mellon nin - my friend_

_Meleth - dear one_

_A'maelamin - my beloved_

_Amin mela lle, melamin - I love you, my love_

_Amin mela lle, Estel melamin - I love you, Estel beloved_

_Lle - yours_

_Amin - mine_

_Quel esta, a'maelamin - rest well, my beloved_


End file.
